A discourse of the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer with a brief…

Add unto what hath been spoken, That the Duty of Prayer ordinarily is not complete, unless it be expressed in words. It is called pleading with God, filling our mouths with Arguments, crying unto him, and causing him to hear our voice; which things are so expressed, not that they are any way needful unto God, but unto us. And whereas it may be said that all this may be done in Prayer by internal meditation, where no use is made of the voice, or of words, as it is said of Hanna that she prayed in her Heart, but her voice was not heard, 1 Sam. 1. 13. I grant, in some cases it may be so, where the Circumstances of the Duty do not require it should be otherwise; or where the vehemency of Afflictions which cause men to cry out and roar, will permit it so to be. But withal I say that in this Prayer by Meditation, the things and matter of Prayer are to be formed in the mind into that sense and those sentences which may be expressed; and the mind can conceive no more in this way of Prayer than it can express. So of Hanna it is said, when she prayed in her Heart, and as she said ⟨p. 145⟩her self out of the abundance of her meditation, ver. 16. that her lips moved though her voice was not heard; she not only framed the sense of her Supplications into Petitions, but tacitly expressed them to her self. And the obligation of any Person unto prescribed Forms, is as destructive of Prayer by inward Meditation, as it is of Prayer Conceived and Expressed; For it takes away the Liberty, and prevents the Ability of framing Petitions or any other parts of Prayer in the mind, according to the sense which the Party praying hath of them. Wherefore if this expression of Prayer in words do necessarily belong unto the Duty it self, it is an effect of the holy Spirit, or he is not the Spirit of Supplication unto us.

Add unto what hath been spoken, That the Duty of Prayer ordinarily is not compleat, unless it be expressed in words. It is called pleading with God, filling our mouths with Arguments, crying unto him, and causing him to hear our voice; which things are so expressed, not that they are any way needful unto God, but unto us. And whereas it may be said that all this may be done in Prayer by internal meditation, where no use is made of the voice, or of words, as it is said of Hanna that she prayed in her Heart, but her voice was not heard,